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Google has launched a new feature for its experimental Chrome Canary browser for Mac, enabling a beta function that allows users to open local Mac files using Chrome apps in Finder. Using the feature, Chrome apps can be associated with OS X files, bringing Google one step closer to replacing desktop functionality with its browser.

For example, the Chrome Text app can be used to open any Mac text file, as seen in the screenshot below. The Text app shows up as an option right alongside native options like TextEdit.

chromecanarybeta.jpg
It is now possible to get OS integration of file associations for Chrome Apps in Chrome Canary for Mac.

All you need is to enable the experimental chrome://flags/#enable-apps-file-associations flag and restart your browser.
Enabling this flag in Canary Chrome will let users choose installed Chrome apps as an option when opening an associated file, with the apps behaving as native Mac apps. As noted by Gigaom, the process functions through app manifests, which allow developers to specify which apps are compatible with different file types via file handlers.

While the feature is currently limited to Chrome Canary for testing purposes, many Canary functions eventually make it to Google's stable Chrome browser. There is no word, however, on when the new feature might make it out of testing as there are still several bugs to work out.

Article Link: Chrome Apps Gaining OS X Finder Integration to Open Mac Files by Default
 

elmateo487

macrumors 6502a
Jun 12, 2008
873
530
While this is fully optional... Who would prefer their crappy web apps over ANYTHING else?

MAYBE a business who has gone all google, and does everything in the google cloud.

Maybe.
 

MacLC

macrumors 6502
Oct 18, 2013
414
272
Google will be selling even more of your personal info to advertising companies.

Exactly. It took me a while to understand Google's motives although they had made it clear early on. They want to control the world's data.

I switched from iOS when my old phone broke and I didn't have money for an iPhone. I switched back from Android when to download even a basic app, I had to give it access to my phone book and call list.

There is nothing a person cannot do in MS Office, iWork, or Star/Open/Libre that they can with Google docs, except unwillingly and unwittingly give away my private data to Google.

With "free" Google software the user is the product.
 

seamer

macrumors 6502
Jul 24, 2009
426
164
Dear Google,

I prefer my files to be via sublime if it has to be in a UI, or the default Pages.
 

genovelle

macrumors 68020
May 8, 2008
2,098
2,674
While this is fully optional... Who would prefer their crappy web apps over ANYTHING else?

MAYBE a business who has gone all google, and does everything in the google cloud.

Maybe.
It's optional now but chrome installs a server that runs in the background doing God knows what. We had three computers at work that were doing weird stuff including IE issues. Oddly these were the only ones that people had downloaded chrome to. After removing it we noticed the chrome server actively working in the background. Once it was gone the issues stopped.
 

philipk

macrumors 6502
Jun 11, 2008
438
190
I seem to have forgotten my tinfoil hat

No this is not tinfoil hat material. NO ONE gives away their product for free. Google has spent many hours developing their products and they want paid for it. It is clearly stated in the privacy policy.

Google Free apps are paid for by advertising. For advertisers to get their money's worth they want it localized. Google anonymously gives private info to their clients. Many people do not mind this. I refuse to be part of it. Both choices are valid.

Apple Free apps are paid for by selling hardware and cloud space.

Microsoft Office apps are paid for by subscription.

It is your choice but I strongly dislike Google's business model and have removed all their apps from OS X and Chrome from IOS.

I may be in the minority, but I would rather pay a monthly fee for no ads and (some) privacy.
 

Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,688
4,399
Here
Yay. Google can access even more information.

But seriously, I don't see the point of this. I don't like browser based apps. Why would I use limited apps when I have powerful native versions?
 

Renzatic

Suspended
Google Free apps are paid for by advertising. For advertisers to get their money's worth they want it localized. Google anonymously gives private info to their clients. Many people do not mind this. I refuse to be part of it. Both choices are valid.

It's entirely acceptable to not like the way Google structures its business, but at least understand exactly what they're doing.

First, they're not giving away private data. If you used their services, they wouldn't be collecting info on a "PhilipK", you'd just be a number that gets tracked jumping from website to website, or by clicking certain advertisements. It's all analytics, and it'd be amazingly difficult to figure out who you are by the random number that's been assigned to you.

Think of it as you being node 5570431256. Node 5570431256 likes to visit Mac forums, and also likes cameras. If a respectable number of others nodes who start out at Mac forums tend to visit camera forums, they've built up a knowledge base, and know that Mac sites are a good place to advertise cameras. Your name isn't directly tied to any of this, only your anonymous node.

Secondly, they don't sell their analytics to companies. That'd be Google giving away their golden goose, since they'd only be able to sell that once, and it'd be entirely out of their hands. What they do instead is sell adspace. Using the example above, a camera manufacturer wants to advertise their product. They go to Google, who says "yeah, we know where to put your adverts so they get the most views", then offers up a price to do so. Google then starts placing camera ads on Mac forums.

Now I can understand why some people wouldn't like that, but the whole setup is nowhere near as insidious as some people make it out to be. I don't use ad supported apps simply because I don't like getting ad popups, not because I'm worried about them selling my medical records off to advertisers.
 

Karma*Police

macrumors 68030
Jul 15, 2012
2,505
2,830
It's entirely acceptable to not like the way Google structures its business, but at least understand exactly what they're doing.

First, they're not giving away private data. If you used their services, they wouldn't be collecting info on a "PhilipK", you'd just be a number that gets tracked jumping from website to website, or by clicking certain advertisements. It's all analytics, and it'd be amazingly difficult to figure out who you are by the random number that's been assigned to you.

Think of it as you being node 5570431256. Node 5570431256 likes to visit Mac forums, and also likes cameras. If a respectable number of others nodes who start out at Mac forums tend to visit camera forums, they've built up a knowledge base, and know that Mac sites are a good place to advertise cameras. Your name isn't directly tied to any of this, only your anonymous node.

Secondly, they don't sell their analytics to companies. That'd be Google giving away their golden goose, since they'd only be able to sell that once, and it'd be entirely out of their hands. What they do instead is sell adspace. Using the example above, a camera manufacturer wants to advertise their product. They go to Google, who says "yeah, we know where to put your adverts so they get the most views", then offers up a price to do so. Google then starts placing camera ads on Mac forums.

Now I can understand why some people wouldn't like that, but the whole setup is nowhere near as insidious as some people make it out to be. I don't use ad supported apps simply because I don't like getting ad popups, not because I'm worried about them selling my medical records off to advertisers.

I agree with your cogent post. One thing that was left out however is that some Google employees do have access to people's data, including searches, comments, reviews, friends, emails, etc. Just imagine if an individual who shouldn't have access gets access to all of that data. Pretty scary stuff.
 

philipk

macrumors 6502
Jun 11, 2008
438
190
Now I can understand why some people wouldn't like that, but the whole setup is nowhere near as insidious as some people make it out to be. I don't use ad supported apps simply because I don't like getting ad popups, not because I'm worried about them selling my medical records off to advertisers.

I pretty much agree. I don't think it is insidious. And my main reason is also not getting the pop-up ads.

However giving them control over seeing my files on my computer does make me nervous. No matter how innocent it is. That is a huge leap beyond tracking my browser history or email content.
 

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,055
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
This should have been introduced on the Windows version first. Most people on the Mac side don't use Chrome for web apps, they use it because it's a better browser for them, and the Google integration. Plus, the fact that Flash is built-in.

And yes, putting a free web app next to a $70 editor was a dumb move. Although this is a great idea in general.
 

fredaroony

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2011
670
0
Google will be selling even more of your personal info to advertising companies.

How exactly would they be doing that by opening a file?

----------

While this is fully optional... Who would prefer their crappy web apps over ANYTHING else?

MAYBE a business who has gone all google, and does everything in the google cloud.

Maybe.

Does your work use a shared NAS drive and thick clients for everything? I prefer cloud any day over that.
 

genovelle

macrumors 68020
May 8, 2008
2,098
2,674
I seem to have forgotten my tinfoil hat
Google doesn't deny their motives. People like you blindly refuse to listen because you get free stuff. You most likely rant and rave about the NSA even under the umbrella of national security. Google transcribes Google voice calls and scrubs your email for a profit. Do you really want a company who only makes money by exploiting your private data to have unlimited access to it.
 

fredaroony

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2011
670
0
Google doesn't deny their motives. People like you blindly refuse to listen because you get free stuff. You most likely rant and rave about the NSA even under the umbrella of national security. Google transcribes Google voice calls and scrubs your email for a profit. Do you really want a company who only makes money by exploiting your private data to have unlimited access to it.

Got any proof?
 

gotluck

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2011
5,712
1,204
East Central Florida
Google doesn't deny their motives. People like you blindly refuse to listen because you get free stuff. You most likely rant and rave about the NSA even under the umbrella of national security. Google transcribes Google voice calls and scrubs your email for a profit. Do you really want a company who only makes money by exploiting your private data to have unlimited access to it.

Lol

FWIW I do rant and rave about the NSA even under the umbrella of national security. Cheers :)

I dont care about my anonymously aggregated demographic data and I actually get something from google. (I've also paid them a good bit of money )

I agree with your cogent post. One thing that was left out however is that some Google employees do have access to people's data, including searches, comments, reviews, friends, emails, etc. Just imagine if an individual who shouldn't have access gets access to all of that data. Pretty scary stuff.

This is what I have a problem with.
 
Last edited:

Parasprite

macrumors 68000
Mar 5, 2013
1,698
144
Google doesn't deny their motives. People like you blindly refuse to listen because you get free stuff. You most likely rant and rave about the NSA even under the umbrella of national security. Google transcribes Google voice calls and scrubs your email for a profit. Do you really want a company who only makes money by exploiting your private data to have unlimited access to it.

I don't care about any of this, because at least the data would serve a purpose.

What I really wish is that they would stop making random things publicly accessible while forcing me to use my real name.

----------

This should have been introduced on the Windows version first. Most people on the Mac side don't use Chrome for web apps, they use it because it's a better browser for them, and the Google integration. Plus, the fact that Flash is built-in.

It's possible that it is actually easier to implement on OS X than Windows, but I have no actual evidence to support that as any sort of assumption.
 
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